Episode 10

Although Bloden answered in a playful tone, Raven was startled and gulped.

‘Her name sounds feminine, but what is her status? When and where did you meet? What happened between the two of you? Does she know Your Majesty is the Emperor? Could she possibly be a fraud? Is Your Majesty in his right mind right now?’ and so on.

Many questions flashed through his mind, but Raven carefully selected his words.

“Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, maintaining the army, including the Dullahan, must consume a tremendous amount of magical power.”

Ignis Patus,, the being Bloden often shortened to ‘Ignis,’ was a high-ranking elemental spirit. While Bloden’s innate curse meant it wouldn’t threaten his life like it did his predecessors…

“Having Ignis Patus, summoned here as well would drastically slow Your Majesty’s return to your original form.”

For Raven, it was natural to say this. The answer to this one question would instantly reveal how important this woman named Haley was to his Emperor.

Bloden replied nonchalantly.

“That’s the plan.”

‘Oh, we’re in trouble.’

This meant that the woman named Haley was already of extraordinary significance to him.

Sighing inwardly, Raven spoke respectfully.

“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to comfortably bring her to the imperial palace?”

“No. She currently thinks I’m an orphan she’s raising.”

“Pardon? An orphan? Raising Your Majesty?”

“Exactly. So, just make up a plausible excuse to the palace that I’m in the north. You move to this area, pretend to be a neighbor, and assist me. Ah, Haley knows me as Baron, so don’t make any mistakes.”

Raven doubted his ears. Unable to comprehend Bloden’s intention, he had no choice but to question it.

“You will be twenty in two years? From then on, Your Majesty must step forward and rule the nation. But if you are here…”

“The Gates will be cleaned out by then. I’m thinking of enjoying a bit of a vacation here until that time.”

“……”

Raven was speechless.

The Empire knew Raven as the Emperor’s aide, a human, but in truth, he was a Death Knight contracted with the late Empress Raven. His loyalty was passed down through generations because her contract extended to her son, Bloden.

Proficient in close combat and high-level magic, he used his own network of informants to eavesdrop on the nobles’ conversations in the palace while acting as the Emperor’s aide to gather intelligence.

Among the most frequently collected pieces of information were the nobles’ misconceptions about Bloden.

Their perceptions of Bloden’s appearance varied from a ten-year-old to a fifteen-year-old.

Thus, the nobles mistakenly believed that the more Bloden used his power, the more his mental or physical abilities regressed due to the curse.

They rarely had occasion to meet Bloden, and the Regent, Duchess Beldenburgh, subtly spread misinformation, so their misunderstanding was not unreasonable.

Bloden was well aware of the nobles’ sentiment. For now, he was letting things be since the Regent wasn’t ruining the Empire and was managing it fairly well.

“If Your Majesty wishes to comfortably secure imperial authority, it would be better to frequently display the dignity of a robust adult by staying in the palace while there is leeway regarding the Gates. If you continue to appear as a child, people will inevitably look down on you.”

In response to Raven’s loyal advice, Bloden answered.

“I know. But if I stay like this a bit longer, someone will inevitably show signs of treason. I’ll use that as a pretext to make an example of a few, cutting them down to size. Isn’t that the perfect justification for cleaning out the stagnant water?”

“……That is also a valid point, Your Majesty.”

Raven nodded.

Given the overwhelming military force at his disposal, that approach was certainly more convenient for a clean sweep. And since Bloden could command more subordinates than any previous emperor, Raven had no need to worry.

“Alright. So, what’s the current situation at the palace?”

“Everyone is busy scheming in anticipation of Your Majesty’s direct rule. Duchess Beldenburgh says she is searching for a suitable candidate to be a good Empress for Your Majesty’s reign.”

“My Empress, by Anna Beldenburgh?”

Bloden let out a short, derisive laugh.

“I see she’s busy turning her head with useless thoughts, trying to create a puppet emperor, so much so that she never even taught me the art of ruler ship.”

Sensing Bloden’s displeasure, Raven tightly closed his mouth.

“Leave her be. She’s taking good care of what she thinks is hers, so let her do the work as a proxy for now. We’ll dispose of her appropriately later. Ah, she’s coming back.”

Seeing a bright light approaching from afar, Bloden gave Raven his final instruction.

“Come up with a plausible excuse for the palace and move here quickly. I need you here for my convenience.”

“As you command.”

Bowing his head in response, Raven departed.

As Bloden had said, Regent Anna Beldenburgh was busy with all sorts of schemes.

This was because there were less than two years left until the Emperor turned twenty, the age of majority when he could directly rule the nation.

Of course, until recently, Anna hadn’t been too concerned about this.

If demonic beasts kept emerging from the Gates in the northern mountain range, Bloden would be tied down there regardless.

Then, regardless of whether he came of age, the real power in the imperial palace would naturally fall to Anna. She could continue to govern the nation under the pretext of assisting the Emperor.

But a variable had emerged. Bloden had sent news of an unprecedented victory, having raided and completely cleared the interior of the Gate, the source of the demonic beasts.

This was a completely different move from previous emperors who only dealt with beasts that emerged outside the Gates.

He even stated there would be no issues for about three years.

This was a declaration that Bloden would end the era of the Regent, stand tall as Emperor, and rule the Empire directly—news that struck Anna like a thunderbolt.

‘That won’t do. This is the power I’ve grasped.’

Anna had spent the last decade as Regent, experiencing firsthand how sweet power could be.

She was originally the daughter of Duke Roan.

She possessed both beauty and noble status, but she couldn’t live her life as she wished. Anna was merely a tool for a political marriage to revive her family.

Anna herself was well aware of this fact and had long abandoned any hope of a happy future.

Still, she thought she would marry an unmarried man of similar status, never expecting to end up as the second wife of Duke Beldenburgh.

Moreover, Duke Beldenburgh even had a child from his relationship with the late Empress. Anna disliked children.

When Anna, dumbfounded, couldn’t even respond, Duke Roan ordered her:

‘That child is our Emperor. Since His Majesty is young, coaxing him will be child’s play. Make him act spoiled and depend on you. If successful, the House of Roan will prosper even more.’

Anna did her best to charm the child as her father commanded. But Bloden didn’t conform to their wishes.

Bloden was an inscrutable child. His expression was mostly indifferent, and no matter how softly Anna coaxed and cajoled him, he only answered in a monotone, showing no signs of his heart being moved.

Already disliking children, Anna found it hard to feel affection for Bloden, when an unexpected situation unfolded.

Duke Beldenburgh died suddenly, and by imperial law, Anna became Regent.

As Anna stood bewildered by the suddenly bestowed position, Duke Roan began issuing instructions.

‘From now on, do as I say.’

Duke Roan acted as if he were the Emperor himself. He even struck Anna if she failed to do as he said.

At first, Anna trembled and obeyed her father’s will. But soon, doubts arose.

‘Everyone bows their head to me, don’t they? The fate of the Empire changes with my single word, doesn’t it? I am remarkable. But why must I, who am so remarkable, be hit by my father and obey his words?’

Everyone in the Empire, except Bloden, bowed their head to Anna. Even her father, Duke Roan, had to show her proper etiquette when others were present.

‘Shouldn’t it be my father who obeys me, not the other way around? So why does he slap my cheek? How dare he?’

The more she thought, the more resentful she became. But Duke Roan, unaware of her thoughts, continued to command Anna. After much deliberation, Anna had Duke Roan assassinated, and naturally, her younger brother inherited the dukedom.

Afterward, she began making enormous donations to the temple using the imperial budget. This was to win over the priests who had tasted the sweetness of money.

The priests, who already disliked the Emperor for commanding demons and spirits as his minions, quickly sided with Anna, and thereafter, the political situation flowed according to her will.

Of course, many powerless commoners died due to the nobles’ tyranny, but that was none of Anna’s concern.

The lives of the powerless, especially those without even a certificate of identity, were worth less than livestock.

Soon, an even greater dream sprouted in Anna’s mind.

No matter how she thought about it, she had governed the Empire well. Considering she had never properly learned state administration, it was no different from being born with the talent of a ruler.

‘If one has special abilities, one just needs to exterminate demonic beasts; there’s no need to sit on the imperial throne for generations, right?’